Crystal River current., 1887-06-11

as the station-keeper had left them
| alone. You and Parker will be quite
comfortable here. and you'll soon get
warm by the fire.
Madge watched his broad form dis
appear through the doorway with n
sinking heart. He hates to be with
me even for these few minutes" ran
her Thoughts; land yet" with piteous
little CULVER on her lips, ''oh how deli
cious it was to be held in his arms. If
he had held me like that oftener, we
shouldn't be hating each other to-day!
Ii he had but kissed me in the snowr'
The dismal train of thoughts was
suddenly broken by the discovery that
one of her trinkets were missing, and
Mrs. Challoner was Instantly on her
knees. Come and help me look for it,
Parker. she cried. II have lost my
| locket.'
The excitement both of mistress and
maid seemed considerably more than
| the occasion warranted; but only Madge
herself and the faithful woman who
had nursed her as child knew of the
serious trouble such n loss would entail.
Gould you have dropped it outside.
ma amp
Not possible. The chain couldn't
catch on anything. when l had my cloak
fastened No; it must be on the floor
Do look for it, Parker"
And look for it they did but without
success; and when the long frui,less
search was over, the expression on the
girls S face was very woe-begone in
deed.
The mistress has lost her gold
locket.' whispered Parker when John
Chaloner came again TO the door. "It's
my belief, sir. that she dropped it on
the floor of the carr age. Can't you
send some body after it, sr?"
"What locket?"
| "The gold one she always wears
around her neck" exclaimed the maid.
regardless of the urgent Parker! You
are not to trouble Mr.. Challoner,"
| which came from behind her. ''She is
| fonder of it than anv thing else, ST; it
seems II pity it should be lost
| .'Parkern' again broke in the pretty
g;rlish voice. Il desire that you do not
trouble Mr. Challoncr."
The mans lips tw tched involuntary.
1t seemed to him that his young wife
was only playing dignity when she
preferred addressing her remarks to
him through the medium of servant.
Don't be foolish, he SAID peremp-
torily. '.Of course I'll go after your
locket. only came back to tell you
that am afraid you will have to spend
I, several hours here The snow has
broken down the telegraph Wires. so
the men can't send on Il message to the
next place for assistance. They must
| wait until this storm is over, and then
| get help from the village to dig out
the train and clear the lines. But of
course it VIII be the work of il good
many hours
Thank you.'' said Nladge meekly.
What Is the time?
| NEARLY ten" He was turning away,
when something in his wife's voice
struck Ii m. and he re-entered the room.
| You are still cold? Wear thIs,'' he
said shortly. rapidly unbuttoning his
fur-lined coat; and in spite OF her re-
monstrances, he wrapped it round her,
and then went hastily out into the
| bitter night-air.
Left alone. Madgc leaned back in her
corner and sat for a long time crying
| softly to herself. Being thoroughly
| unStrunT by terror and fatigue, she
was in just the imprcssionable mood
| VIII CHI made her husbands little act of
kindness very precious in her eyes, and
| she nestled into the thick warm fur as
| though cheating herself into the belief
| that it was John himself who was hold
| ing her. She remembered Il met
was during the happy weeks which
followed the wedding day when she
and John seemed To be all in all to
each other: but when they were finally
settled in the staid London house. over
which Miss Sarall's chilly influence
hung like pail. it had all been altered
then. john had gone back to his be-
| loved books, in apparent forgetfulness
of the solitary Little wife in the big
drawingroom up stars; and if she pro-
posed invading his precincts, it was
only 10 be met with Miss Sarah's re-
| proachful stare. and the words: my
| brother never allows even me to dis
turb him And then baby's birth,
and-baby's death! In nervous terror
of her own great grief. the poor young
mother had flung herself into every
| kind of dissipation. for the dead child
| seemed hardly farther from her than
| the silent man who was buried in his
| books. and to face her sorrow alone
was more than she could do. o dear!
the life that henceforth would be lived
apart. might have been so happy!-
and the tears flowed on.
Meanwhile. Challoner had started for
the railway carriage. The binding
snow. the Pickering lantern, and the
difficulty of picking his WAY, made the
short journey long one, but his busy
wonderments made the time pass quick
~. For the first time in his life, John
Challenor was feeling curious. What
made his wife so fond of that particu-
lar Iocket? What did it contain? He
was still bordering on the MYSTERY
when he reached the carriage. Parker
had been right; the little engraved
locket lay upon the floor; but beside it
lay something. at the sight of which
the mans heart gave great throb. A
little curly head a pair of sweet blue
eyes, a soft uncertain voice trying to
stammer the word '.maman' They all